When plumbing contractors talk about company culture, the conversation often turns to the things employees enjoy, such as company cookouts, team outings, bonuses or the occasional free lunch.

The NFL season is up and running. Those of us who enjoy watching football get to sit back in our easy chairs at home or join other enthusiasts at the local pub to view the games.

Margin pressure in distribution is nothing new, but prices are being pushed down by intense competition and price transparency, while costs are being driven up by soaring operational, supply chain and labor costs.

The PHC wholesale industry — like many skilled trades and their supply chains — has long been dominated by men.

In this industry, results are earned on the front lines: deliveries, customer relationships, safety and service all depend on people. 

CRM is meant to create efficiency. However, when every department uses it in their own way (or not at all), it has the opposite effect.

If you have been following our reinvention-based series of columns here in The Wholesaler, I have surely been trying to drive home the point that the competitive landscape could not be more different than what it was only a short time ago. 

Years ago, in my plumbing company’s infancy, I got a call from an unhappy customer. One of my technicians had handled a routine service call differently than I would have. 

Ken Smith, RPG Plumbing Services, Virginia Beach, Virginia, will become president of PHCC-National Association at CONNECT 2026, Oct. 19-22, in Milwaukee. 

There is an age-old question that every business owner has to contemplate: Should I grow my business?